Crave’s NESN reported Friday that Mukwonago High School in Mukwonago, Wisconsin is defying a state order to stop using their mascot name, Indians. It’s a pretty ballsy move since refusing to follow the state order carries a $1,000 a day fine for each day past the Thursday deadline they keep using the name.
Wisconsin has made a very public effort to purge Native American symbology from their schools and other government entities. A move clearly not supported in Mukwonago.
“We certainly want to be sensitive. We think that we have done a very nice job of respecting Native Americans and certainly their culture. We’ve done a lot of education with our students.”
– superintendent Shawn McNulty
The school district has the support of some parents and children. There is even a Facebook page in support of the Indians.
“My daughter, Mariah, will be a senior this year, and she was just terrified that they weren’t going to be able to graduate as the Indians like her older siblings have.” -parent Crystal Rozanske
NESN reports there is a bill in the Wisconsin legislature to repeal the requirement.
